Joint construction



Feb. 22, 1938.

w. A. FLUMERFELT JOINT cousmucrxou -Filed June 22, 1936 2 sneaks-shed: 1

ATTORNEY Feb. 22, 1938. Q w; A. FLUMERIT'ELT JOINT CONSTRUCTION FiledJune 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'FIl l.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 22, 193s 2,i08,8l4

umrao srmss PATENT orriea JOINT cons'rapc'rron William A, Fiumerielt,Columbus, one, magnet to The Columbus Auto Parts Company, Columbus,01110, a corporation oiohio Application June 22, 1936, Sen-lat No. saszs6 claims. (or. ear-sci This invention relates to joints and moreparparts, elements per se, and to-economies of manticularly of.thecharacter known as ball joints ufacture and numerous other features aswill be especially adapted for use in'tie rod and drag link apparentfrom a consideration of the specificainstallations of automotivevehicles. tion and drawings of a form of the invention,

The invention contemplates the provision of a which may be preferred, inwhich: 5 joint construction in which one of the elements Figure l is avertical sectional view showing is of multi-sectional sphericalconfiguration with a joint construction of my invention; a spring meansenclosed in the spherical config- Figure 2 is a horizontal sectionalview taken uration whereby the over-all dimension of a jointsubstantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

of this character may be substantially reduced. Figure 3 is anelevation'al view of a stud mem- 10 The invention embraces the provisionof an ber forming an element of the present invenarticulatcdjoint-wherein a stud member iormtion; ing one of the elements of thejoint is provided Figure i is an elevational view partly in secwith abearing portion cooperating with a section illustrating an element ofthe invention;

ond member having a bearing portionwhich to- Figure 5 is a sideelevational ,view showing 15 gether form one of the elements ofthejoint, the one of the seat members of the joint construcelementsbeing held into engagement with surtion;

rounding bearing members by means of an in- Figure fi is a horizontalsectional view taken teriorly positioned spring. substantially on theline 6-8 of Figure 5; A further object of the invention is the provi-Figure 7 is an elevational view of a closure 20 sion of a jointstructure wherein the ball conplate for the joint housing; figurationis. made in two segmental spherical Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure'3 showing portions surr'oundedby bearing members, there a modified formof stud construction. being interengaging means between the compo-Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustratncnt elements of theball configuration whereby ing a modified form of the arrangementillussaid elements maintain the same relative relatrated in said figure;tion in various positions of articulation of the Figure 10 is a viewsimilar to Figure 1 showing joint. a modified form of construction;Another object of the invention is the provi- Figure 11 is a detail viewshowing one of the sion of a joint wherein a portion is of sphericalelements of my invention. 30 configuration fabricated of component partsWhile I have illustrated the joint arrangement surrounded by bearingmembers and in which a of my invention as especially adapted for tie rodresilient means for holding the spherical conconnections, it is to beunderstood that I configuration and the bearing members in fixedtemplate the use of the invention in any link relation is containedwithin the spherical conor joint construction wherever the same may be 5figuration, such arrangement providing a large found to be applicable.bearing area in engagement with the bearing Referring to the drawings indetail, I have members, thus enhancing the life of the joint illustratedan arrangement of joint construction Structureas particularly adaptedfor use in connecting Still another object of the invention is the thepivotally mounted or steering wheels of a .40 provision of a ball studassembly of component vehicle together in which numeral ill illustratesParts in Combination With Spring means for an end portion of a tie rodpreferably of tubular holding the component parts o the ball inenformation, being interiorly threaded as at H reem w the rr g aringmemceiving a threaded tenon M formed, in the embers so that duringoscillatory movements of the bodiment illustrated, as an integral partof the 45 ball stud assembly the component parts of the joint housingit. A wall portion of the tube l stud assembly always maintain a fixedrelationis preferably split longitudinally as at it and ship and theforce of the spring means remainsurrounding the tube is a clampingmember or ing uniform in all positions of articulation of collar lladapted to be drawn into close engage- 1 the 101m ment with the tube atby means of a. bolt as and to Further objects and advantages are withinnut (not shown), this clamping means serving to the scope of thisinvention such as relate to the hold the tube it and tenon t 01' thejoint housarrangement, operation and-function of the reing in fixedrelation. lated elements of the structure, to various de- 'Thehousing i5is provided with a bore which tails of construction and to eombinatidnsof terminates at one end in an annular shoulder 55 ball seats 2| and 22are provided in their exterior v peripheral portions with grooves 24 and25, one

01' which grooves is in registration with an. opening 28 in a bossportion 21 formed integrally with the housing Ii, the opening 26 beingpreferably threaded and accommodating a lubricant fitting 28, throughwhich lubricant may be introduced into the housing to lubricate thebearing seats and other elements of the joint structure.

The joint structure of my invention is inclusive of a stud or member 30having a tapered shank portion 3i adapted to receive an arm 32 which isconnected to a dirigible road wheel (not shown) of a vehicle, the arm 22being held in place by means of a washer II and a nut 34 engageable witha-threaded portion 25 of the stud, the latter being locked in positionby means of a cotter key "or other suitable means. The lower portion ofthe stud 20 is formed with a segmental spherical or ball shaped portion40 which is of a suitable curvature to fit into the concave surfaces ofthe ball seats 2! and 22. The stud 20 is provided with a dependingcylindrical tenon 4| and an annular recess 42. Positioned immediatelybeneath the spherically shaped portion- 40 of the stud is a member 44also formed with a spherically shaped portion 44 of substantially thesame radius of curvature as the ball or spherically shaped portion 40 ofstud member 20. The member 44 is preferably formed of sheet metal, orthe like and has an interiorly formed upwardly projecting annular flange48 which is adapted to slidably receive and accommodate the tenon 4| ofthe stud 34. When the stud 20 and member 44 are assembled in position asillustrated in Figure 1, it is to be noted that the spherically shapedportion 40 of the stud and the spherically shaped portion 45 of member44 together provide the majorportion of a ball configuration which fitssnugly within the ball seats 2i and 22 providing a substantial curvedbearing area between these elements. Interposed be- 1 tween the stud 30and the member 44 is a resilient Y 52 in position. As particularlyillustrated in Figmeans in the form of a coil spring 48 surrounding theannular flange 46 of member 44, one end of the spring resting in theannular groove or recess 42 formed in the stud 30. The spring 48 servesto at all times exert a uniform pressure tending to hold the sphericallyshaped portions 4b and 45 in close bearing contact at all times with theinterior bearing surfaces of the seat members 2| and 22. In this mannerthe spring is entirely enclosed within the ball configuration andautomatically compensates forany wear of the parts.

One end of the bore in the housing is formed with a. shoulder portionIii which is adapted to position a closure member 52 which in assemblyof the joint is placed in position and the annular edge portion 53 ofthe housing swaged or spun over as illustrated in Figure 1 to hold theclosure ures 1 and 7, the closure member 52 is formed pression orconcave portion 55 whose interior radius of curvature is preferably thesame as the radius of curvature of the spherically shaped portion 44 and45 of the stud 30 and member 44 re- F spect vely. This sphericaldepression 55 of the closure 52 provides a further curved bearingsurface cooperating with the member 44 and in curved alignment with theinterior curvature of ball seats 2! and 22 so that during oscillatorymovements of the stud 30 and member 44, portions of the member 44 willat all times be in intimate contact with the spherical curvature of theclosure 52; The closure 52 therefore, in effect, provides a continuationof the seat members 2| and 22 as additional bearing surface.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a modified form of stud and cooperatingmember forming the ball configuration. The stud construction 30' shownin Figure 8 has the spherical shaped portion 40 and the depending tenon4|. The tenon 4i is centrally bored as at 60 and adapted to accommodatea tenon or cylindrical projection 6| po- 'sitioned axially of member44'." The exterior of the member 44' is spherically shape'd throughoutits entire exterior surface and when assembled with the stud 20 into acomplete Joint structure of the character illustrated in Figure l, theexterior spherical surface of the member 44' will contact the curvature55' of the disk 52 so that substantially complete bearing surface may be'had throughout the entire spherical surface formed by the ball stud 30'and the member 44'. Thus, a substantially increased bearing area isprovided in this form' of the invention so that wear of the parts isreduced to a minimum, and yet the over-all dimensions of the jointstructure are not increased.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 10 and 11, the stud member30a is formed with a spherically shaped portion 40a having a centraldepending annular flange 65. Positioned beneath the spherically shapedportion 40a of the stud is a spherically shaped hollow member 44a havingan uniplanar bottom portion 66. The interior upper portion of the member44a is provided with a cylindrical surface 81 which is adapted toslidably fit the exterior surface of the depending annular flange 65 ofthe stud member. In this manner the interengaging portions of members30a and 44a serve to keep the parts in proper relationship duringarticulation of the joint.' A spring member 480 is positioned within acentral recess 42a formed in the stud member, the lower end of thespringcontacting the flat portion 66 of member 44a, thus serving to holdthe ball shaped configuration formed by the spherically shaped .member44a and the spherical portion 400 of the stud member at all times inbearing contact with hearing members 2la and 22a, the latter beingpositioned in a bore in the housing list. i

It is apparent that within the scope of the invention, modifications anddifferent arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, andthe present disclosure is illustrative merely, the inventioncomprehending all variations thereof.

What'I claim is:

1. A joint construction including a housing having a bore therein; abearing having an interior substantially spherically curved bearingsurface, saidbearing being located in said bore of saidhousing; a studmember having a spherically shaped portion; a second member having aspherically shaped portion and adapted to form with the sphericallyshaped portion of said stud member a substantially ball shaped element,

said members forming the ball shaped element both Seating in said curvedbearing surface; a closure for the bore of said housing, said closurehaving a concave inner surface forming a continuation of said curved;bearing surface; and means arranged between said members for urging saidspherically shaped portions into engagement with said curved bearingsurface and said curved inner surface of said closure.

2. In combination, a tie rod; a. housing for a ball and socket jointlocated at the end of said tie rod, said housing having a bore extendingsubstantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of saidtie rod; a plurality of seat members having inner substantiallyspherically curved bearing surfaces and outer surfaces to fit the sidewalls of said bore in said housing, said seat members being separatedlongitudinally with respect to the axis of the bore in said housing andtransversely with respect to the axis of said tie rod to form a solidbearing for longitudinal tie rod thrusts; a stud member having a stemand a spherically shaped end portion; a

second member having a spherically shaped portion cooperating with thespherically shaped end portion of said stud member and forming asubstantially ball shaped element; said members forming the ball shapedclement both seating in said curved inner bearing surfaces of said seatmembers; and means arranged between said ball members for urging saidspherically shaped portions of the ball members apart and intoengagement with said curved bearing surfaces of said seat members andfor forcing said seat members into engagement with the side walls ofsaid bore in said housing.

3. In a tie rod ball and socket joint, a housing having a bore; aplurality of seat members having inner substantially spherically curvedbearing surfaces and outer surfaces to fit the side walls of said boreof said housing, and said seat members separated longitudinally withrespect to the axis of the bore of said housing; a stud member having astem and a spherically shaped end portion; a second member having aspherically shaped portion cooperating with the spherically shaped endportion of said stud member and forming a substantially ball shapedelement; said members forming the ball shaped element both seating insaid curved inner bearing sur faces of said seat members; and meansarranged between said ball members for urging said spherically shapedportions of the ball members apart and into engagement with said curvedbearing surfaces of said seat members and for forcing said seat membersinto engagement with the side walls of said bore of said housing.

4. In a tie rod ball and socket joint, a housing having a cylindricalbore; a plurality of seat members having inner substantially sphericallycurved bearing surfaces and outer cylindrical surfaces to fit the sidewalls of said cylindrical bore of said housing, and said seat membersseparated longitudinally with respect to the axis of the bore of saidhousing; a stud member having a. stem and a spherically shaped endportion; a. second member having a spherically shaped portion andadapted to form with the spherically shaped end portion of said studmember a sub stantially ball shaped element; said members forming theball shaped element both seating in said curved inner bearing surfacesof said seats;

and a compression spring arranged between said ball members with thespring axis extending longitudinally with respect to said stem, saidspring arranged to urge said spherically shaped portions of the ballmembers apart and into engagement with said curved bearing surfaces ofsaid seat members and for forcing said seat members into engagement withthe side walls of said cylindrical bore of said housing.

5. In a tie rod ball and socket joint, a housing having a bore open atone end and provided with a shoulder at the opposite end; a plurality ofseat members having inner substantially spherically curved bearingsurfaces and outer curved surfaces to lit the side walls of said bore ofsaid housing and said seat members separated longitudinally with respectto the axis of the bore of said housing; a stud member having a stem anda spherically shaped end portion; a second member having a sphericallyshaped portion and adapted to form with the spherically shaped endportion of said stud member a substantially ball shaped element; saidmembers forming the ball shaped element both seating in said curvedinner bearing surfaces of said seats; means arranged. between said ballmembers for urging said spherically shaped portions of the ball membersapart and into engagement with said curved bearing surfaces of said seatmembers and for forcing said seat members into engagement with the sidewalls of said bore of said housing; and. a closure for the open end ofsaid housing.

6. In a joint construction, a housing having an interior bore; a'plurality of interlocking elements, each or said elements havingsubstantially hemispherical shaped portions of substantially similarradii, said elements cooperating to jointly form. the ball portion ofthe joint, one of said

